Monarchism didn’t die in 1776 when the thirteen American colonies declared independence from King George. It endured in a group of elite men who doubted a republic could survive. This forgotten movement was led by familiar founders like Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and James Madison, who were convinced that making George Washington a lifetime president would save the nation—a goal shared by Washington himself.

As historian Terry Bouton reveals in American Monarchists, at the Constitutional Convention, these men added many monarchical elements, such as expansive pardoning powers, the Electoral College, and a toothless impeachment process, to the new government—the very parts of the Constitution that threaten the republic today. They were only stopped by a popular movement stoked by Thomas Jefferson, who convinced his best friend, James Madison, to change sides. Jefferson believed the story of monarchism’s defeat contained essential lessons for future generations. But Madison switched sides once again, erasing all evidence of the conflict from the historical record.

American Monarchists recovers this story, rescuing the lessons that Jefferson believed would help save the republic once monarchism made its inevitable return.